Clothes pole and line connector



June 5, 1956 M. E. ALTERGOTT 2,749,075

CLOTHES POLE AND LINE CONNECTOR Filed June ll, 1952 E a E a .f2-7. V517Z-Dz-f United States Patent() CLOTHES POLE AND LINE CONNECTOR Mary E.Alter-gott, Chicago, Ill. Application June 11, 1952, serial No. 292,887

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-353) This invention relates to improvements in aclothes pole and line connector, and more particularly to an ornamentAfor attachment to the upper end of a clothes pole for positiveengagement with a clothes line so that the pole willl not shift sidewiserelatively Ito the line, fall, and thus drop the clothes on the lineinto contact with the ground, although the invention will have otheruses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various devices for connecting a pole or the liketo a rope, cable, or other line-like element, have been developed, butin all instances of which I am aware, such devices were not as easilymounted on a pole as desired, especially by a housewife, did not providea well defined channel for the line, were not as positive in theirgripping action as desired, had no limits to the adjustments, and inmost cases were not sufiiciently economical.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a simple and economical form of pole and lineconnector, which connector may be made of simple sheet metal stampings.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a pole and lineconnector, with the connector so formed as to provide substantially asocket for the reception of the end of the pole, which may simply andreadily be attached to a pole, and is subject to reasonable adjustmentto t an individual pole.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a pole andline connector in which the connector provides a channel-like recess forthe line, with a pivotal lever to not only hold but also compress theline in such recess, there being limiting means to stop the lever in theproper holding position.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of apole and line connector, wherein the connector is so shaped as toprovide a ledge over the top of the pole when attached thereto, toprevent relative forces between the line and pole from tending to loosenthe connector from its attachment to the pole.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the provision of apole and line connector so constructed as to be simply operable withonly one moving part, and wherein the line is not only located in afixed position relatively to the socket or connector, but is alsocompressed in a plurality of directions when engaged.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary sideelevational view of a pole equipped with a connector embodyingprinciples of the instant invention, showing the same in operativeconnection with a line;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the same characterand location as Fig. 1, but illustrating the connector in open position,released from the line;

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Figure 3 is a transverse plan sectional view taken substantially asindicated by the line III-'III of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; and

Figure 4 is a central vertical sectional view, with parts shown inelevation, taken substantially as indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

As shown on the drawings:

While the instant invention may have other uses and purposes, as will beapparent to one skilled in the art, for purposes of clarity ytheinvention is illustrated as mounted on the commonly known clothes linepole, for association with a clothesline. In the illustrated instance,the clothes pole 1 is of the most used style, namely rectangular incross section. It will be understood however that the instant inventionmay be associated with substantially any shape 'of pole, includinground, oval, square with rounded corners, etc.

As stated above, the invention may comprise a pair of simple metallicstampings, and includes a back plate 2 having angularly disposed sidewings 3 3 which are also turned inwardly at the rear as indicated at 4,to form a socket for receiving the upper end of the pole 1. Obviously,if the pole is of diiferent shape than rectangular in cross section, theside wings may be bent accordingly to intimately embrace the pole, whileno other part of the structure need be changed. The side wings areapertured to accommodate securing means such as screws S which areengaged directly into the pole to firmly join the connector to the pole.

As seen best in Fig. 4, the upper end of the connector extends above thepole, and the back plate 2 is provided with an inwardly disposed channelformation 6 to receive the line 7. It will also be noted that thischannel formation 6 provides a ledge, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 4,extending over the top end of the pole which, together with the sidewings 3 3, provides a definite socket for the top end of the pole. Thisledge at 8 prevents any downward stresses or forces from the line on thepole from loosening the connector, the structure remaining firmlyconnected to the pole throughout long usage.

Pivotally connected as by a pivot stud 9 to the backing plate 2 only isa locking plate 10, the lower portion of which forms a hand lever 11having wings 1212 bent outwardly therefrom for easy engagement by thelingers and thumb of a user. When in use, the plate is shifted to theposition seen in Fig. 2, open position, and then the line 7 is insertedin the channel 6, and the plate is pivoted approximately or 80 to thelocked position as seen in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the upper edgeof the locking plate 1t) is cut partially on the slant as indicated at13, while the remainder is substantially flat as indicated at 13a, inFig. 2. The slanting edge 13 facilitatcs the entrance of the plate intoa groove or slot formed by a reverse fold 14 in the upper portion of theback plate 2, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. The straight edge portion 13a,of course, stops the plate in locking position by engagement with thetop of the groove, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Accordingly, it isimpossible to move the locking plate too far when connecting the polewith the line.

It will also be especially noted that the locking plate 10 is providednear its upper end with a transverse series of grooves or indentations15 which, when the plate is disposed in locking position, parallels thechannel 6. These grooves, as illustrated in Fig. 4, frictionally gripthe line 7, and compress it inwardly. At the same time a similar row ofgrooves or indentations 16 formed in the upper wall of the channel 6tend to compress the line 7 downwardly, when the line is forced firmlyinto the groove by the locking movement of the plate 10.

Thus, the connector may, by the simple pivotal movement of the lockingplate 10, be firmly engaged with a clothes line 7 or the like so thateven in a very high wind, when a heavily laden line may swayconsiderably, there is no danger of slipping movement of the polerelatively to the line which might result in the falling of the polewith the consequent dropping Aof the line suflicient to permit theclothes to contact the ground. It will also be noted that the instantinvention is extremely simple in construction and operation, veryeconomical, and long lived.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pole and line connector, a back plate carrying a pole receivingsocket, a line receiving channel in said back plate with the undersidethereof providing a ledge for contact with the top of the pole, a seriesof indentations in the upper channel wall, a groove formation above saidchannel, a locking plate pivoted to said back plate and movable tolocking position with the upper margin thereof received in said grooveformation, means to limit the pivotal movement of said locking plate,and a series of indentations in the margin of said locking plate opposite said channel.

2. In a pole and line connector, a back plate for attachment to a pole,a depressed portion in said back plate forming a line-receiving channel,a locking plate pivoted on said back plate to swing over said channelinto a position to lock a line therein, means on said back plate toengage the edge of said locking plate when in locking position to limitpivotal movement of said locking plate, a series of inward projectionson said locking plate to frictionally engage a line in said channel andcompress it into said channel, and a similar series of projections onone wall of said channel to augment the compression of the line.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS365,196 Palmer June 21, 1887 622,788 Varcoe Apr. l1, 1899 666,228 BriggsIan. 15, 1901 688,164 Franke --.Q Dec. 3, 1901 989,368 Knoder Apr. l1,1911 998,431 Theimer Iuly 18, 1911 2,379,377 Riegel .lune 26, 1945

